The Advisory Council for UNEP’s Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System met in Zurich to review progress and to provide recommendations ahead of the launch of the Inquiry’s final report at the 2015 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Lima, Peru, next October. The Council is made up of imminent persons from the worlds of finance and sustainability, including Governors of central banks and world-renowned financial experts from around the world.

Hosting the event in Zurich, the Swiss Government presented a new study entitled, “Design of a Sustainable Financial System”, as part of its input into the UNEP Inquiry. Switzerland is represented on the high-level Advisory Council by the Director of the Federal Office for the Environment, Bruno Oberle, who said: “If the world population had the same consumption patterns as Swiss citizens, we would need almost three planets to cover its requirements. A transformation towards an economy that respects planetary boundaries necessitates substantial investment in infrastructure, innovative technologies and smart concepts like the circular economy. Private money must be channelled into investments for a resource efficient future.”